The Flame: May/June 2016
Dear Readers of The Flame,
Almost 50 years ago, the Holy Spirit fell upon a small
group of Catholic college students from Duquesne
University in Pittsburgh. They were participating in a
retreat at a place called The Ark and the Dove, located in
the north hills area of Pittsburgh. They experienced the
Lord in a personal and powerful manner, including the
manifestations of charisms such as praying in tongues and
prophecy.
This small retreat center was recently up for sale. In order
to preserve this historic site where the modern Catholic
Charismatic Renewal came to birth a number of people, in
conjunction with the National Service Committee, a
corporation to purchase this site was formed. Fr.
Cantalmessa, preacher to the papal household, heard this
news and said, “I cannot but rejoice over the decision…to
buy The Ark and The Dove retreat house where the
Catholic Charismatic Renewal had its first visible
manifestation back in 1967. How we would be happy if we
could purchase the Jerusalem Cenacle where the first
Pentecost took place!”
The Cenacle in Jerusalem where the first Pentecost took
place is not for sale. And though it is a wonderful place to
make a pilgrimage to, it is not the most important Cenacle
in the world. The most important Cenacle in the world is
the one we create in praying for the coming of the Holy
Spirit in our day.
Ironically, Fr. Cantalamessa teaches this in his book Mary:
Mirror of the Church. Based on the events of Acts 1, Fr.
Cantalamessa says:
…the first point is that before undertaking anything at
all and setting out into the world, the Church needs to
receive the Holy Spirit; the second point is that prayer,
above all, is the way to prepare for the coming of the
Holy Spirit; the third is that this prayer must be of one
accord and persevering.
This is what happened in Acts 1. Jesus highlighted the
Church’s need of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). Then they
prayed (Act 1:14), in one accord and with perseverance. Fr.
Cantalamessa calls these three points a “sort of law, a
paradigm placed at the beginning of the narration of the
history of the Church to show the Church of all ages how
the kingdom comes…”
In other words, the Church in every age has to
acknowledge its dependency on the power and person of
the Holy Spirit. Secondly, and perhaps most importantly,
the Church needs to pray. And its prayer needs to flow out
of unity (Acts 1:14) and with perseverance (Colossians 4:2).
If our efforts are to make any difference in furthering the
coming of the Kingdom of God, unified and persevering
prayer for the coming of the Holy Spirit will precede those
efforts. In imitating the events of Acts 1, we will see the
Holy Spirit move in our days.
And if we want a continual Pentecost, we need to
always:
✦ Acknowledge our utter dependency of the power and work
of the Holy Spirit to make our efforts bear great fruit
✦ Pray at all times for the coming of the Spirit
✦ Be in accord, unified with our brothers and sisters in Christ
If the Church is to be the Ark of the Lord into which
people of all nations are gathered to ride out storms and
floods of our times, we need to invoke the help of the
Dove, the Holy Spirit, who brings us the olive branch of
peace.
I encourage you to be part of a Cenacle in praying for the
coming of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps it will be with a prayer
group. Perhaps you will form a prayer group, gathering
with parishioners and friends, praying for the coming of the
Holy Spirit. I invite you to the Life in the Spirit Seminar at
St. Peter Parish on Friday, May 13 and Saturday, May 14,
as we prepare for the Pentecost on Sunday, May 15. The
most important thing is that we pray for the coming of the
Holy Spirit and, if necessary, reconcile (so as to be in one
accord) with our brothers and sisters in Christ. May we
persevere!!!
Come Holy Spirit! We need you!!!
Fr. Bob Franco
Bishop’s Delegate to Catholic Renewal Ministries